What's that in your eye...

“The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded. A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided” - Casting Crowns from Jesus friend of Sinners

Many who have served their country have done so out of a sense of duty, honor, and courage. Scripture is clear that we should be “strong and courageous.” Joshua (a great hero) was told this three times in a progressively aggressive tone – as one would read using the appropriate grammar associated with Joshua 1.

When Veterans come back from conflict there has always been a flux in society, the NFL saw an increase of aggressive play after the Korean conflict (back in the days of eye gouging, fish hooking, and leg whipping were legal means of field justice employed by many an O-lineman).

Vietnam saw an increase in self medication, a lack of support unseen in history for the service member, and a period in history with a country very divided on a political scale because of a youth that was having their minds….”expanded.” Every conflict resulted in an increase in body modification – Iraq and Afghanistan are no different. Combat patches and combat ribbons being tattooed on an individual have replaced the “boat anchor” and “pin-up girl” that jumped when the forearm was flexed.

The “Christian” is always portrayed as either: a hypocrite, an alcoholic, a wife beater, or a child molester. For clarification the fact that he is an adulterer has to go without saying in contemporary cinema.

So where is the plank?

Matthew 7 starts with a very strong statement “Judge not, that you be not judged” (v1)…then follows it “Do give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” (v6)

In the middle is the plank (v3 - 5)…

Why do you see the speck (very small, splinter, chaff) that is in your brother's eye (not your own), but do not notice the log (some Bibles will use plank, beam, or log. The point is the obvious exaggeration between not only our own issue, but our lack of fixing our own issues or sin) that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? (This is not to say judgment in all cases is bad – but it is for the believer and follower of Christ to discern their own heart before the Almighty King. This is why it is important to see that Jesus did not do miracles for the unbeliever – See Matt 13:58 here) You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye (Matthew 7: 3-5).

Where do you stand? The challenge is when you suddenly find yourself near someone that has one to many tattoos for your taste and your internal “tattoo counter” starts flashing….it is connected to your arm which instinctively goes to where your wallet is located to ensure its still there!

What if they are a different, size, color, creed? Now it gets difficult; what if they have sex with the same sex? What if they are strung out on a drug that you only see on an episode of “Border Wars;” then what do you do? What if the sit next to you? What if the smell, are homeless or even drive a cab?

I am sitting here at a local “Christian” coffee shop writing a blog and doing homework (ok more blog and less homework) but even over my headphones I hear several Bible studies going on about “what Jesus does, did, died…” AND….?

Folks, we need to whittle our plank down into a cool little boat or paperweight that we can put on our desks or show our old woodshop teacher. More importantly we need to walk along side of the brother / sister that has the spec to come before the King and repent of every spec, log, lint, and trash that we all have so we come clean before and for Jesus! When we drop our pride and come before Him at the only level playing field in the world…the foot of the Cross, can we all come clean or said better – be cleaned!

King Jesus,

I pray that our hearts would be open to Your correction, that we would be open to our brother and sisters coming along side of us in love to help keep us accountable to You and Your Word. I pray that we would be set on fire for the sake of You! I pray that sharing what a blessing You are would become our priority over food and drink…that we would really rely on You as our bread and not push away from Your table saying “we are full” or that “we have had enough”

I pray that we NEVER have enough!!!

In Jesus name I pray

Pastor AG